Moments
by Let-it-lie-archived
Summary: Four times Eduard hugged Toris, and one time he kissed him. Set in various Historical time periods. More angsty than the description suggests; rated for blood, mentions of violence and negative themes. EstLiet


**Time one: "Welcome to hell, stranger."**

The puffy slits that were Toris' eyes opened slowly, taking in his dim, darkened surroundings. Less than a day ago, he would have been ashamed to admit that he had been crying, but such a humiliation no longer seemed relevant. Poland had deserted him; he had lost everything to Russia, and what he could see of his future looked bleak. Carefully he sat up, wincing at the pain his injuries caused and wiping the dust from his forehead. He could see very little from the angle he was sitting, his eyesight being shrouded in a gloomy shade of black.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw what he had predicted; he was confined in a dungeon, with only a narrow slit of light allowing him to maintain his sanity, and iron bars blocking him from escape. He coughed weakly, his stomach giving a low rumble; it had been at least thirty six hours since he had last eaten.  
Finally summoning all the strength from within him, he got to his feet, staggering in the direction of the iron bars, before falling once again down onto his knees, overcome by weakness. Again the pain of loss ran through him, but he was too weak for tears; the sobs died before they reached the surface.

"Toris?"

The nation's head snapped round to face his caller; he flinched away, afraid of more pain, but no blow came to him. Silently, the other nation stood on the other side of the bars, surveying the other with mingled pity and empathy.

Toris turned again, fear in his eyes as his gaze met that of his companion. To his surprise, the eyes which met his own were not the haunting, violet ones which had fueled his nightmares for so many years, but were a deep shade of sea blue, and pooled over with a familiar clear liquid. He was staring into the face of Eduard Von Bock.

When he was certain that the other nation had recognised him, Eduard gave Toris the tiniest shake of his head, walking forwards to the cell door. There was a dull clanking sound as he unchained it, and a low groan as it was pushed open, the entire weight of Eduard's body needed to complete the operation.

The creature before Eduard was filthy; coated in mud, sweat and blood, and Estonia had no idea what else. He bent down beside Toris, reaching out to him without thinking about the consequences; without thinking about the filth, or the effect that such contact might have on the petrified nation, he wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close. Toris gave a weak moan, falling against Eduard; the other nation did not let him go.

Even as Lithuania lay in Estonia's arms, Estonia murmured words to him, promising him that he was here; that he would protect him; that they could get through this. He found himself unable to lie, however; Toris lifted his head from Eduard's lap long enough to mention the name which he feared the most, but Eduard could only nod, confirming to his companion what Toris had somehow known all along.

"Rusija?"

"Mm."

Silence

It was strange, somehow, that this was their first real conversation; even while Eduard had been under Toris, the nation had not spoken to him except in the presence of others. Now, everything had changed. Their positions had changed, and now they would need each other more than they had ever before.

* * *

 **Time two: "I never left your side."**

"Eduard? Please, talk to me. I'm scared… will Toris be ok?"

The sound of fumbling blankets could be heard as Estonia roused from his nightmare. He looked upwards, taking in the silhouette of the Latvian boy; seconds later, the blanket was lifted up, and he gestured for Raivis to join him underneath the cover.

"I'm sorry, Raivis. It's just that I can't bear to listen to it. Surely you understand?"

A pair of sapphire orbs appeared beneath the sheets, and Eduard felt the warmth of another body join him in the bed. There was hurt in Raivis' eyes at the brush-off, and Eduard frowned at his expression.

"I don't like it either! I can't stand to face it on my own, so please don't leave me again."

Sighing, Eduard gave in, ruffling the boy's hair lightly and giving him a squeeze.

"Ok, Läti, I won't leave you alone like that again. Next time we can hide here together, ok?"

The promise still did not seem to satisfy the young nation, and he looked about ready to hit Eduard; the nation took hold of his shoulders, trying to instil some calm into him.

"So that's it? You're just going to hide under the blankets while Toris gets tortured? Don't you care about him at all?"

The words seemed to cut through Eduard like a sharpened blade; the nation buried his head in his hands, real pain in his eyes. Raivis could only stare, realising only too late that he had hurt Eduard somewhere where the nation wasn't supposed to be touched.

"Raivis… I care, my God, I care; that's why I can't face it. It's too hard for me. There's nothing we can do, anyway; we promised Toris that we would try to protect ourselves."

Raivis shook his head, pressing the tips of his fingers against Eduard's shoulder blades.

"Why do we have to obey him? This is killing him, and I don't think I can do this anymore!"

Eduard was sobbing; the liquid soaked into the thin pillow, dampening Raivis' shirt; the boy wrapped his arms around the other nation, trying his best to provide comfort. Eventually the sobbing stopped, and Eduard turned to Raivis, speaking in controlled tones.

"It would kill him to see us hurt, Raivis. We can't do that to him; he already fights hard enough to protect us as it is."

The nation tugged at his sleeve, indicating the new wounds which had formed there; Raivis' fingers reached out to lightly touch the area, and Eduard flinched back, regretting his gesture.

"I'm going to tend to him once Russia is gone, but for now, we can't do anything but wait."

They lay down next to each other, crouching and hiding and trying to block out the sounds of screams; the sounds of the lash striking Toris again and again; the sounds of their own whimpers, until finally, the house became quiet. Carefully, Raivis crept out of the bed, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, while Eduard lay still, waiting until he was ninety percent sure the coast was clear.

* * *

"Toris?"

The familiar tones of his name somehow filtered through the befuddled chambers of Lithuania's mind. He was slipping in and out of consciousness at regular intervals, the intense pain of the whipping he had just received ingesting his mind into indescribable turmoil. Silently, Estonia walked down the steep, stone-carved staircase, running to his side and grabbing hold of his hand tightly.

"Toris? It's me, Eduard. I'm here."

Eduard stepped back slightly to survey the damage. New, deep lines had been sliced through Toris' flesh over the tops of the many scars which decorated the nation's back in some kind of sick celebration of his defeat, and the rich, red blood of the Baltic nation seeped slowly onto the cold, stone floor. Eduard immediately snapped into action, beginning to clean the wounds of the man he cared so much for.

"This is going to be painful, but I know that you can get through it."

Eduard received only a weakened moan in response; he was astounded that the nation had still managed to hang on to some level of consciousness. As gently as possible, he cleaned off Toris' wounds, applying alcohol and dressing them in fresh bandages. He had brought spare clothing, knowing that Toris' own would be badly torn, and he carefully dressed the nation, watching to receive the signals of consent.

When he had finally restored Toris to a state where the nation could be seen in public, Eduard shifted the him slightly so that he could hold him in his arms, letting him lean against him. Toris whined, pressing for Eduard's arms around him, but Eduard shook his head, hesitant to cause him anymore pain than was necessary. Toris persisted, so Eduard gave in, holding him tightly but doing his best not to make contact with Toris' damaged back. Toris' whimpers lessened slightly as he rested in the arms of the Estonian, and they lay still, listening to the sounds of each other's heartbeats.

Nothing had changed since their encounter in the cell. Eduard was still there to hold and protect Toris, and he vowed to do so for the rest of his life.

* * *

 **Time three: "It's ours for the taking."**

"So that's it? You're just going to leave us now; after all we've been through to get our freedom?"

Toris frowned slightly, continuing to pack his belongings in the brown leather case which rested on his bed.

"Don't worry about it; he'll let you go soon. If you were in my position, you'd do the same."

Eduard gave a gasp of shock, staring at Toris as if it would take away the brutal lack of sympathy in the words which had just been spoken. Without thinking, he grabbed hold of Lithuania's wrists, glaring at him with disgust in his eyes.

"Don't you dare tell me, 'don't worry about it'; I could never leave you alone in this house, Toris. How could you do this to us; to Raivis?"

Toris shook off Eduard's hands, folding his arms over his chest as a personal declaration of his frustration at the other nation. Eduard's arms remained by his sides, his hands balling instinctively into fists.

"You're overreacting, Eddie. It won't be long until we're all free, and you can't honestly want to keep me here, after all I've suffered. You owe that much to me, at least."

As his mind registered the bitter words, Eduard stepped back slightly, resolving to distance himself from Toris before he did something he would later regret. Toris remained in his spot, gaze unwavering.

"How could you, Toris? You weren't the only one to suffer in this house, you know! The only reason why you suffered more than us was because that was what you wanted! We owe you nothing."

Struck hard by this insult, Toris began to walk in Eduard's direction; the other stepped backwards towards the wall, momentarily afraid of the Lithuanian's rage.

"I thought that I meant more to you than that, Eduard. Maybe next time, I won't bother to protect you, because you're not even worth that much."

Eduard reached the wall; the dull thud as his back hit it echoed through the room, and Toris' gaze seemed to singe him.

"Maybe I'm not worth that much to you, Lithuania, considering you won't even stay with me for a day longer than you have to."

A low growling sound came from the back of Toris' throat, causing Eduard to start slightly. For a moment the two paused, the pain and fury of half a century passing between them like the tide of a raging storm. For the first time, the two noticed Latvia, who had been observing the whole scene with varying levels of alarm.

"Be quiet, you two; Russia might hear, and punish you!"

The two turned to him simultaneously, dragged momentarily out of their overbearing duel. It had come on so quickly, and neither of them had been expecting the barrage of emotions which had presented themselves. Toris turned to Raivis, a catch in the back of his throat.

"It's fine, Raivis. He won't trouble you anymore."

Eduard laughed, his voice bitter; beside him, Toris' eyes narrowed, filling with the rage which Raivis had hoped had dispersed.

"I guess you believe that I owe you something because you 'helped' me. Well, maybe if you had taken more of the suffering yourself, I would actually have gotten through this without as much pain as I did. You think it's ok to use me as a shield all the time."

Eduard gasped at the insult, deeply hurt.

"I tried my best for you, Toris! Stop acting like a martyr all the time. You can't deny that you encouraged most of the hardship to be brought on yourself."

Perhaps if Eduard had been thinking straight, he would have kept his mouth shut following this injection, however his mind raced with a flurry of anger and bitterness. Beside him, Toris looked more wounded than he ever had before, and Raivis physically flinched when he saw the expression on his brother's face.

"Are you saying that I… asked for all of this to happen to me?"

Eduard's face remained stony.

"Maybe I am, Toris. Maybe I am."

Toris' mouth opened as if to scream, but no sound came out. Eduard could only stare at him in alarm; slowly, Toris raised his hand, before suddenly drawing it back. For a moment it seemed as if he were going to strike Eduard, and Raivis cowered away, unable to watch the two people he cared about most in the world teat each other to pieces. As realisation hit Eduard he flinched, stepping back, a shocked expression on his face.

Straight away Toris froze, pulled out of the frenzy of his mind; Eduard reached out to him, breathing heavily. As Eduard's hands made contact with him, Toris melted, his anger dissipating into the surroundings; softly, he began to weep, hiding his face in Eduard's shirt. Shaking, Eduard wrapped his arms around the other nation, pulling him close.

"Toris, it's ok. It's ok. You can leave; you should- I'm not going to be the one to deprive you of your freedom a moment longer. You deserve to leave."

In spite of Eduard's comforting words, Toris continued to weep, clinging tightly to his companion. He mumbled a few words, which Eduard bent down to hear.

"Singing Revolution… it was so good. What happened? I don't know… I…"

Eduard could only hold him tighter, reaching up to stroke the other nation's thick brown hair.

"It's ok, Tor.. Things can be good again; we were just stressed. This doesn't matter; it wasn't even us."

He paused for breath before whispering the final words into Lithuania's ear.

"Toris. You're free. You're free!"

The words seemed to wake Toris up again; wiping the liquid from his eyes, he hugged Eduard again, laughing with a contradictory joy. Quick as a lynx, Latvia slipped into the hug as well, joining his brothers in joyous, hyperactive, heartbroken celebration.

Toris held Eduard, clinging to him, in the hope of regaining some measure of self control; Eduard held them both, smiling in spit of the circumstances; everything would be ok again, and everything would be good.

For a while they remained in the private bubble of confusion before Eduard gave Toris a push towards his bags.

"You should get going; get your own nation started up."

Toris nodded, cramming the last items into his bag. Suddenly, he heard Eduard speaking over his shoulder.

"Toris, Don't forget us, ok? I don't know how long we'll be stuck here, but…"

"Ed, I know. I will remember, I promise you."

Toris reached out, grabbing Eduard's hand in a desperation for comfort and warmth. The two held on, silently, preparing for their immanent separation.

* * *

 **Time four: "As if you own me." [Post World Meeting]**

"Toris."

The Baltic nation had bent down to retrieve a pile of paperwork which he had dropped during the meeting. He frowned slightly at the sight of his caller; Eduard stared down at him, eyes fixed on Toris' shoes.

"Are you ok, Eduard? How can I help you?"

The blonde bent down beside Toris, retrieving the paperwork in a single sweep; Toris could only stare, momentarily affronted by this voluntary helpfulness.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry, Tor. I'm sorry for everything you had to go through today."

Toris froze, anger flashing across his face. In a move, he snatched the papers out of Eduard's hands, slamming them down on the table in obvious frustration.

"No. You have nothing to be sorry for, Eduard. There's nothing you can do; you already support me enough as it is."

They rose at the same time; Eduard folding his arms across his chest, and Toris shifting through the stack of paperwork to keep his hands occupied.

"Toris, you misunderstood me. I'm not sorry for anything I've done, or not done; I'm sorry _for_ you."

Toris' hand swung out, knocking the papers flying; Eduard buried his face in his hands in despair. His release was short lived, however; Toris grabbed hold of him, forcing the nation to look him in the eye.

"I'm not just a creature to be pitied, Eduard! I'm capable of standing up for myself; I just choose not to."

Pulling out of Toris' grasp, Eduard reached up to push his spectacles up his nose, attempting to reinstate the aura of calm with which he had approached the nation before.

"Well, maybe it's about time that you did."

Toris exhaled, his breath cooling the other nation's skin; involuntarily, Eduard stepped forward, hungering for more closeness. The brunette stuttered, searching for words which fell like blood from an unhealed wound.

"The man's a monster, Eduard. Antagonising him will only hurt us."

"But we have people to protect us now, Toris. The EU, and…"

"We couldn't abuse that gift for the sake of out own pride, Eduard. We are safe, and that is all that matters."

The flurry of words between them ended as suddenly as it began. Once more, the two found themselves in a seemingly endless stare off, until finally Eduard's voice cut through the silence.

"Our pride matters too, Toris. The only reason I'm doing this is because… I care about you, Leedu. I care about you more than you realise."

The words seemed to freeze Toris, leaving him staring at the man in front of him, pain and fury surging through him.

"Well, if you care so much about me, then why can't you stop acting as if I'm your property?"

The words struck Eduard hard; he took several steps backwards, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. There was little Toris could do except stand back and watch as the blond reacted to his vicious blow. Eduard felt a desperate rage rush through him; for the first time, he allowed the vat of emotion he had stored up inside release itself into the outside world.

"The only reason I act as if you're my property is because I love you, Toris! Because I love you! How could you have not seen?"

"But…"

Toris was momentarily lost for words as he absorbed this new information. Stepping forward slightly, he reached for Eduard, but the nation pushed him away.

"Forget it. I can't do this. I won't be the one to set the conditions for your life."

He turned to go, leaving Toris standing alone in the meeting room. The brunette nation watched him walk out, unable to speak until Eduard reached the door, when he finally spoke the words which had come far too late.

"Eduard… wait…"

Estonia had already gone.

* * *

"Now, let us proceed. I believe that you have the agenda, Francis?"

France blinked, turning to the Germanic nation and scrambling for the numerous sheets of paper laid out in front of him.

"Germany, it seems there is some business with UK-EU trade links, but I think it would be wise to leave that… emergency weather precautions?"

"That can wait until later." The German raised his hand to instil silence upon the room once more. "Is there anything else on the list, Francis?"

Straining to read the numerous handwritings used on the agenda, France traced his finger down to the unpractised scrawl of the last line.

"Russia put in a notice about… 'Dissatisfaction with the Baltics' closer ties with Europe' or something like that."

Eyes turned in the directions of Russia and the Baltics themselves; Estonia was nonchalantly staring at his laptop as if nothing had changed, Lithuania was chewing nervously on his pen, and Latvia was hiding behind Ukraine. Carefully, Germany moved across the room, approaching the massive Slavic nation with a degree of hesitation. The nation had barely reacted to the notice; he was staring at the ceiling, an eerie smile on his face.

"So… what do you have to say for yourself, exactly?"

The German turned to face Russia, frowning a little at the nation's distracted facial expression. Russia continued to smile, avoiding the gazes of all of the nations accosting him.

"Oh, I am sure you know where I stand on this matter. After all these years, the Baltics should know where their loyalties lie. Furthermore, it is not being fair on me, to have European backed nations on the edge of our border."

The words had their desired effect; the murmuring began among the European nations again, and Prussia turned to whisper something to Hungary, while Germany glanced around in desperation to see if America had reacted to the unspoken threat. He was sorely disappointed; America had barely listened to the words which had been spoken, having been primarily occupied by an arm wrestling contest with England.

Among the muttering nations, Toris pulled back his chair, getting to his feet with an inner sense of dread. Slowly and deliberately, he picked his way through the massive meeting room, his eyes fixed firmly on his target, Eduard hadn't noticed him leave; he was still staring fixedly at his computer, and turned to look only when Prussia gave him a sharp poke in the back.

"Hey, Von Bock. Your boyfriend's gone to declare war on Russia."

Eduard turned, snapping out of the alternate reality in which his mind was dwelling.

"What?… oh. He's not my boyfriend, you know. At least not yet, anyway."

"Pity, really." Prussia gave a slight laugh, tilting his head in the direction of Toris. "Don't forget, I screwed him first. This should be an interesting watch."

"Actually, from what I've heard, he screwed you. It should be pretty awesome, that's for sure."

Prussia growled at the use of his catchphrase; Estonia turned to watch Toris, straining to look over the sea of nations. The nation in question had stopped beside Germany, speaking quietly to him before the two turned to Russia, waiting for his reaction.

"Ah, Litva. Have you come to declare loyalty to me, or must it be forced on you?"

With a sigh, Toris leaned up against the table, resting his palms on the solid marble and staring back into Russia's violet eyes.

"Rusija, you expect more than you have ever given out. We have our freedom now, and our loyalties lie with our people; with our brothers; with our neighbours. We will never be loyal to you; you have to understand that!"

The sound of Russia's laugh sent shivers down Toris' spine, but he remained completely still.

"You forget, Litva, how long we have been together. So much of your economy you owe to me."

The room watched with bated breath as anger flashed through Toris' eyes.

"Liar. We owe you nothing. You know what you did. We are our own countries now, and you have no right to interfere with our freedom."

"Well said."

Everyone turned in surprise to Prussia, who was leaning on his chin with fascination and amusement in his eyes.

"He's right; their relations with other countries are no business of Russia's. The same goes for the rest of Eastern Europe."

"Oh really, Prussia. Now tell me, what do you intend to do if I attack the Baltics?"

At the threat which had been hanging in the air for so long, Estonia raised his head from his screen, turning to look at Russia with a newfound sense of authority.

"Unlike you, we have the support of the Western nations behind us, and they will rise to our defence if necessary."

"Wait, isn't that what Russia had complained about?"

Lithuania had spoken without thinking; he raised a hand over his mouth in embarrassment, but Estonia only laughed.

"Exactly, Toris. He's protesting against our right to defend ourselves; that's all there is to it."

Some of the other nations laughed, and America finally realised what was going on.

"Wait, what happened? Did Russia attack the Baltics?"

England didn't waste an opportunity to smack him one for idiocy, speaking in tones loud enough for the whole room to hear.

"No, you arse. Lithuania just stood up for them, and you missed the whole thing."

Toris didn't miss a beat.

"Which reminds me- didn't you have something to discuss, Miss Hungary? For some reason France left it out, and I definitely remember you writing it…"

* * *

Closing the screen of his laptop, Eduard walked up to Toris, standing a few metres behind the other nation. Toris was bent over slightly, plainly in the process of tidying away his notes; gently, Eduard laid a hand on his shoulder, waiting for the brunette to turn to face him before uttering the treasured word,

"Toris."

He reached out for the brunette, embracing him tightly as Toris did the same to him, surprised but pleased by the intimate gesture. He broke away, looking at Eduard in surprise.

"What was that for?"

Eduard sighed, rubbing a hand across his cheek in agitation.

"You didn't need to do that."

"Huh?"

A finger lifted Toris' chin; he looked upwards into the deep cerulean eyes of his companion, hurt filling his own.

"I only wanted that… for you I mean. Not for me. It's time you claimed back all that is rightfully yours."

He released the Lithuanian from his grasp, letting the bitter words register as guilt filled him. Taking a step back, he waited for Toris' response, receiving the words he had feared.

"So I'm not good enough for you?"

He could only shake his head, turning away to retrieve his laptop.

"Oh no, Toris. Can't you see? It's always been the other way round."

As he turned to go, he looked back at the bewildered nation; sure that he had seen a look of disappointment in Lithuania's eyes.

* * *

 **Time five (kiss): "Yours."**

It was early May, and the temperature was cool but mild; at the fall of night, the cloudless sky was lit up with a thousand stars. Eduard guessed it was about 2AM; in the chilling cold, he made his way through the streets of suburban Vilnius, his path illuminated by lights from the many millions of galaxies.

He knew the place; when he took his final turning, he paused, taking in the familiar sight of Toris' home. As he had expected, the lights were switched off, and the house was dark. However, the house was not deserted; from where Eduard was standing, he had a clear view of the garden, which was illuminated by the moon that shone brightly down on Vilnius, revealing the curled shape of the beautiful nation Eduard cared for so much. Toris leaned against the side of the house, his back resting against the wall and his arms wrapped around his knees.

At the sight of the one he had missed so greatly, Eduard's eyes filled with light. Within minutes he had reached the house, and had swung the gate open to enter the garden. Toris had given no reaction to the noise; his gaze remained fixed on the moon, his face showing obvious obliviousness to Eduard's entrance. For a moment, Eduard paused to stand before him, taking in his sunken posture.

"Toris."

"Estija."

Toris did not move from his position, continuing to look upwards; although he had acknowledged the intruder, he did not turn to the blond nation who stood before him, momentarily surprised by the use of the others' personal name for him. Toris opened his mouth to speak again this time inclining his head slightly in Eduard's direction.

"What are you doing here, Ed? I thought you were coming tomorrow."

Eduard smiled, his face shining in the dim light of the garden.

"My train arrived today, so I thought I'd visit you. You ought to answer the same question."

He saw Toris wince; the nation closed his eyes, leaning back against the solid oak wall of his house. Eduard squinted to get a better look at him- he looked exhausted; his clothes were crumpled and he had dark circles around his eyes, as if he hadn't slept in days.

"I can't sleep; that is all."

"Nightmares?"

The word slipped out of Eduard's mouth before he could stop it; Toris' eyes widened, and he gave a defeated shrug of his shoulders. Quickly, Eduard crouched down beside him, wrapping his arms around the brunette. Toris didn't return the hug, but was unable to contain the shiver which spread across his body.

"You're freezing, Tor. You should go inside, at least."

The order extracted a sigh from Toris; the Lithuanian leant back slightly against Eduard, allowing the other nation to rub his legs and arms to warm them. When the blond had taken hold of his hands, and was warming them between his own, Toris finally gave his reply.

"I prefer it here; it helps me think. I find it less lonely, also."

Eduard remained silent, nodding a little in acceptance of his companion's words. Feeling the other release him, Toris stood, leaning against the wall and looking up into the pitch black sky. Eduard crouched, his gaze questioning.

"What's been on your mind, Toris? Is it the past, or does that no longer trouble you?"

His nerves presenting themselves, Toris wound his fingers through his hair in anxiety; Eduard reached for his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Ne, Estija, it's not like that. It's the past… and also our future. It's a lot to take, and to get through. I'm not sure if I'm strong enough anymore, to face all of this."

Eduard rose, his hands gripping Toris' shoulders firmly; their eyes met, Eduard's burning through Toris.

"Of course you can! You're strong, and… you've done so much before. Anything that comes next will be easy for you."

"Eduard."

Toris murmured his name, reaching out for him, and the two held each other again, their arms wrapped tightly around one another.

"You're not alone in being afraid."

The words were murmured in Toris' ear as Eduard pulled him closer, stroking the brunette's hair softly.

"I can't go on without you, Eduard."

The admission merited a soft whimper from Eduard as he held Toris close to him, but he pulled away, stepping back to look sadly at the nation before him.

"You said that you were lonely, Toris… I'm sorry."

A hand was laid tenderly on Toris' arm; the man stepped forward a little, resting his head on Eduard's shoulder, and allowing his companion to embrace him again.

"I'm here, Toris. Whenever you need me, just give me a call. Don't forget it."  
He rubbed slowly down Toris' back, his fingers grazing the old scars strewn across it, making the nation tremble slightly but press up closer against him. They broke apart again, Toris standing before Eduard to look at him with an expectant gaze. The Estonia placed a hand behind his head, threading through his thick blond hair.

"I, uh…"

He shuffled his feet slightly, overcome by an age-old shyness; Toris opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again as a hand reached out to tenderly caress his cheek.

Eduard bent forward, pressing his lips softly against Toris'; Toris gasped but reached out for him, and Eduard's arms wrapped tightly around him as their lips moved in unison, fiery warmth surging to every inch of Toris' being.

They broke apart, staring at each other. Eduard reached up to brush a stray tear from his eye; Toris looked concerned for him, but Eduard's eyebrows raised slightly, and moments later they were kissing again, harder than anyone had ever kissed Toris before.

He felt Eduard lift him up and carry him in the direction of the house, before lying him down on the bed; then the nation was upon him, pressing burning kisses to his neck and collarbone. He reached out for Eduard, claiming back all that was taken from him.

They paused, staring at each other in awe, before Toris spoke, the question hanging in the air between them.

"Are we going to…?"

Eduard shook his head in a definite no.

"Toris, I've been waiting for you for over three hundred years. I want you… but I need you, too. Look at yourself, Leedu; you're tired, and you need to rest. Sleep, Toris; I'll still be here when you wake up."

Toris pressed up against Eduard, holding him tightly.

"I'm yours, Estija."

His eyes closed as the nation kissed his forehead, slipping off his outer clothing and lifting up the blanket to slip in beside him, taking him in his arms and holding him tighter than ever before.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. I'm sorry for the bad writing; this was written as a self-inflicted Tumblr prompt.**


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